During the last few decades, there has been a tremendous improvement in the treatment of cancer. There is evidence that this trend is continuing, based on the achievements re sulting from the combined efforts of clinicians and basic re search workers. This book is an example of such interaction and collaboration. It was prepared by authors representing both areas of work. Most of the work reported in this book is not merely theoretical, but has been experimentally successfully tested and sometimes applied clinically. This work has, however, not yet been generalized and practiced on a wide scale. Some of the results reported here relate to new aspects and open new horizons for future progress. This book will be of great value for both clinicians and basic research workers. VICC Treatment and Rehabilitation Programme ISMAIL ELSEBAI Chairman Preface The three main approaches to the treatment of cancer are surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Today, all malignant neoplasms are managed by one or more of these modalities, with varying success rates depending on the type of tumor, its degree of spread, and the knowl edge and skill with which the treatment plan has been designed and executed. In the United States of America and in Europe, approximate ly half of all cancer is presently curable, but this has been the case for approximately 20 years.

Epigenetic Cancer Therapy unites issues central to a translational audience actively seeking to understand the topic. It is ideal for cancer specialists, including oncologists and clinicians, but also provides valuable information for researchers, academics, students, governments, and decision-makers in the healthcare sector. The text covers the basic background of the epigenome, aberrant epigenetics, and its potential as a target for cancer therapy, and includes individual chapters on the state of epigenome knowledge in specific cancers (including lung, breast, prostate, liver). The book encompasses both large-scale intergovernmental initiatives as well as recent findings across cancer stem cells, rational drug design, clinical trials, and chemopreventative strategies. As a whole, the work articulates and raises the profile of epigenetics as a therapeutic option in the future management of cancer. - Concisely summarizes the therapeutic implications of recent, large-scale epigenome studies, including the cancer epigenome atlas - Discusses targeted isoform specific versus pan-specific inhibitors, a rational drug design approach to epigenetics relevant to pharmacoepigenetic clinical applications - Covers new findings in the interplay between cancer stem cells (CSCs) and drug resistance, demonstrating that epigenetic machinery is a candidate target for the eradication of these CSCs

Drug Repurposing in Cancer Therapy: Approaches and Applications provides comprehensive and updated information from experts in basic science research and clinical practice on how existing drugs can be repurposed for cancer treatment. The book summarizes successful stories that may assist researchers in the field to better design their studies for new repurposing projects. Sections discuss specific topics such as in silico prediction and high throughput screening of repurposed drugs, drug repurposing for overcoming chemoresistance and eradicating cancer stem cells, and clinical investigation on combination of repurposed drug and anticancer therapy. Cancer researchers, oncologists, pharmacologists and several members of biomedical field who are interested in learning more about the use of existing drugs for different purposes in cancer therapy will find this to be a valuable resource. - Presents a systematic and up-to-date collection of the research underpinning the various drug repurposing approaches for a quick, but in-depth understanding on current trends in drug repurposing research - Brings better understanding of the drug repurposing process in a holistic way, combining both basic and clinical sciences - Encompasses a collection of successful stories of drug repurposing for cancer therapy in different cancer types

Get a quick, expert overview of the latest clinical information and guidelines for cancer checkpoint inhibitors and their implications for specific types of cancers. This practical title by Drs. Fumito Ito and Marc Ernstoff synthesizes the most up-to-date research and clinical guidance available on immune checkpoint inhibitors and presents this information in a compact, easy-to-digest resource. It's an ideal concise reference for trainee and practicing medical oncologists, as well as those in research. - Discusses the current understanding of how to best harness the immune system against different types of cancer at various stages. - Helps you translate current research and literature into practical information for daily practice. - Presents information logically organized by disease site. - Covers tumor immunology and biology; toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors; and future outlooks. - Consolidates today's available information on this timely topic into one convenient resource.

This work covers the pathophysiology of cancer, exploring the difficulty of optimal treatment due to the complexity and diversity of cancer types. The search for distinctive molecular biology characteristics of tumor cells is especially relevant in the identification of overexpressed receptors and proteins that can be used as a target for cancer treatment. We highlight the main therapeutic modalities, particularly conventional systemic chemotherapy, addressing its mechanisms of action, therapeutic classes and even the toxic effects. We also describe the main tumor markers, their importance in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and the specificity of tumor cells. The first chapters serve as an introduction to the central topic of this book, targeted therapy. Key aspects of target therapy, such as classes of drugs, immunotherapy, monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines and tyrosine kinase inhibitors are presented, and, for each one, the benefits, as well as the adverse effects are reported. Chapter 6 compares conventional systemic chemotherapy and targeted therapy, identifies the risks and benefits and also the eligibility criteria for patient care. The possibility of targeted therapy replacing conventional chemotherapy is discussed while reviewing studies that demonstrate the benefits of combining both types of treatment. Finally, the introduction of pharmaceutical nanotechnology to improve antineoplastic agents is addressed in the last chapter and sets the direction for future research in cancer treatment. This is a valuable resource for many health professionals including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, researchers and students interested in the field of oncology.

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) emerges as a possible new modality for cancer treatment. This book provides a comprehensive introduction into fundamentals of the CAP and plasma devices used in plasma medicine. An analysis of the mechanisms of plasma interaction with cancer and normal cells including description of possible mechanisms of plasma selectivity is included. Recent advances in the field, the primary challenges and future directions are presented.

In this book, leading experts in cancer immunotherapy join forces to provide a comprehensive guide that sets out the main principles of oncoimmunology and examines the latest advances and their implications for clinical practice, focusing in particular on drugs with FDA/EMA approvals and breakthrough status. The aim is to deliver a landmark educational tool that will serve as the definitive reference for MD and PhD students while also meeting the needs of established researchers and healthcare professionals. Immunotherapy-based approaches are now inducing long-lasting clinical responses across multiple histological types of neoplasia, in previously difficult-to-treat metastatic cancers. The future challenges for oncologists are to understand and exploit the cellular and molecular components of complex immune networks, to optimize combinatorial regimens, to avoid immune-related side effects, and to plan immunomonitoring studies for biomarker discovery. The editors hope that this book will guide future and established health professionals toward the effective application of cancer immunology and immunotherapy and contribute significantly to further progress in the field.